Another reason to lace up your sneakers: higher daily step counts are associated with fewer depressive symptoms in cross-sectional and longitudinal studies of the general adult population, according to a meta-analysis issued yesterday by JAMA Network Open.
“The results of meta-analytic studies have consistently indicated that higher levels of [physical activity] provide protection against the emergence of depression,” wrote Bruno Bizzozero-Peroni, Ph.D., M.P.H., at the Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha in Cuenca, Spain, and colleagues. “Light-intensity activities, such as walking, may constitute an adequate form of [physical activity] for reducing the risk of depression.”
The researchers compiled data on all published observational studies that objectively measured daily step counts and also examined depression outcomes. They found 27 cross-sectional studies and six longitudinal studies involving 96,173 adults across five continents.
Compared with a more sedentary lifestyle, walking 5,000 or more steps a day was associated with fewer depressive symptoms among the cross-sectional studies, with slightly higher benefits seen at 7,500 and 10,000 daily steps.
Further, among cross-sectional studies that measured depression as a categorical outcome, achieving 7,500 or more steps a day was associated with a 42% lower prevalence of depression compared with walking less than 7,500 steps a day. These findings were corroborated by the cohort studies, which found that adults who increased their activity by 1,000 steps a day had a 9% lower risk of developing depression, while those who accumulated 7,000 or more steps a day had a 31% lower risk.
The researchers noted that it cannot yet be established whether there is a ceiling above which there would be no additional benefit from increasing steps. Furthermore, the study did not discriminate between various types of physical activity or examine the role of other potential physical activity–related benefits, such as social well-being. The researchers noted that the optimal number of steps to prevent depression may vary according to sex, age, and individual risk of mental disorders.
“Our results showed significant associations between higher numbers of daily steps and fewer depressive symptoms as well as lower prevalence and risk of depression in the general adult population,” the researchers wrote. “The objective measurement of daily steps may represent an inclusive and comprehensive approach to public health that has the potential to prevent depression.”
For related information, see the Psychiatric News article “Exercise Is Neuroplastic Medicine.”
(Image: Getty Images/iStock/Moyo Studio)
Source: https://alert.psychnews.org
